


Beginning of the End

by Romiress



Category: DCeased (DC Comics)
Genre: DCeased Spoilers, Gen, Prequel, Violence against Family Members, Zombie Apocalypse more or less
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:28:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24277396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Romiress/pseuds/Romiress
Summary: Life as Mary knows it is about to be over.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 28





	Beginning of the End

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for a defunct fandom event.

Mary is in the kitchen when it happens.

She's not even cooking, really, just reheating some food while everyone else watches TV. Eugene and Rosa are there with her, getting some snacks for the group, when there's a _change._

Even years later, Mary remembers the feeling. The closest thing she can compare it to is the idea of someone walking over your grave. It's a sense of _wrongness_ that she can't explain.

Someone suddenly wails in the other room. Eugene pops his head around the corner and goes stiff.

Something is wrong.

Mary doesn't need the wisdom of Solomon to tell her that, because every part of her brain is suddenly screaming in panic. Something is _wrong._

"Eugene?" Rosa calls, stepping towards him. "What's wrong?"

Eugene turns around and lunges.

It isn't an attack. Eugene isn't trying to punch Rosa as if she did something wrong. Eugene is _mauling_ Rosa like a wild animal. He claws at her as she reels backwards, screaming, and all Mary can do is stand there, frozen, as she tries to process what's happening.

It doesn't make sense. And it makes even less sense when Darla lurches around the corner, eyes wide.

There's blood on her mouth. She's _bitten_ someone, and there's no intelligence left in her eyes as she lets out a snarl and _leaps,_ latching onto Rosa.

The others are right behind her. Victor comes first, followed closely by Pedro and Freddy. Freddy doesn't seem to be able to stand just right, and the fact that his throat right where it meets his right shoulder is leaking blood is terrifying. It's like something out of a horror film. It just doesn't make sense.

They come at her too fast. She shouts for them to stop—or she thinks she does—and when Victor lurches at her, the man who is her _father,_ who's been the most supportive person in her life, who's literally _just_ finished working on college applications with her...

Mary does the only thing she can.

"SHAZAM!"

The lightning goes straight through the roof. It throws Victor back, knocking him into the wall like he weighs nothing at all.

Freddy comes at Mary before she can even recover. The entire situation is _wrong._ There's no hesitation in the attack, nothing but pure violence. She doesn't want to hurt them, so all she can do is frantically pull back, trying to get space between them.

Until Rosa jumps at her out of nowhere.

The wisdom of Solomon is enough to help her work out what's happening. It's some kind of _virus._ Some kind of disease, like right out of a zombie movie only worse. They're mindless, attacking even if it injures themselves. It spreads, because Rosa's been infected to. She can think of a half-dozen ways it could have started, but what matters is _not_ being infected. What matters is not being bitten.

But there's another more pressing concern. Everyone in front of her is infected. Everyone coming at her is already effectively rabid.

But Billy isn't. Billy's upstairs, grounded to his room. He's still safe.

Mary does, once again, the only thing she can.

She lashes out to defend herself. To defend her brother, the only one still safe. She tries not to seriously hurt them—without their powers, none of them are serious threats—but it's harder than it should be to stop people like that. It's not their strength, but their ferocity. Their single-mindedness. She breaks things she doesn't want to break as she does everything she can to keep from getting hurt. In the end, the best she can do is shove the others down the stairs and drag a couch in front of the door.

How long will it hold them? She can already hear them scratching at the door.

"Billy!" She's sure she sounds desperate and terrified, but she _is,_ so she doesn't try and hide it. Tears are streaming down her face even as her mind whirls through the options. Distantly, she can hear other screams. It isn't just their house, it isn't just her family. Everything's gone wrong and it's all going too fast. She hasn't been a hero more than a few months. She's not ready for this.

"Billy!"

There's a noise upstairs, and Mary throws herself onto the landing. Billy. She needs to get Billy. She needs to—

Billy stands at the top of the stairs, staring down at her. His eyes are dead and glassy, showing no recognition of her at all. In his hand is his phone, still held in a loose grip.

Billy's already gone, and Mary isn't sure she's going to be able to get him back.


End file.
